It's insane not to do something about gun violence

Monday

Feb 25, 2013 at 12:01 AMFeb 25, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By DAVID C. TICKEL

In light of all of the massacres that have taken place in this country, we should be doing whatever we can to stop the gun violence. I believe it is insane to continue as we are and it is particularly frightening to hear comments suggesting we all should be carrying guns.

I’m sure there are those who would advocate wearing holstered guns out in the open on our city streets, in the malls, in schools, in churches and everywhere in our society. And the opposite is true; some people would prefer to keep all guns away from civilians. Somewhere in between lies a compromise that will help to stop mass killings.

The Second Amendment reads, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” In the Colonial days, the word “arms” was not synonymous with the word “guns.” In fact, there were very few guns in the Colonies when the War for Independence began. “Arms” were interpreted to mean swords, pikes (spear-like weapons), hoes, and of course single-shot muskets and pistols. Arms in those days were quite primitive as compared to the automatic and semi-automatic weapons of today.

I used to hunt rabbits and squirrels in Ohio with a double-barrel, 12-gauge shotgun. I also had a .22-caliber rifle. Of course, I had to reload the shotgun after firing two shells. The .22 was a single-shot rifle. Both of these guns could kill you, but they definitely are not as effective at killing as the automatic and semi-automatic guns of today! Guns are dangerous because they are purposely made for killing living things — humans and animals primarily, with a few exceptions. Therein lies the need to apply some controls; guns have gotten so much more plentiful and much more effective in their killing power than they were back in colonial times.

I don’t see any logic for civilians owning semi-automatic and automatic weapons that are intended for military use. High-capacity magazines are unnecessary for hunting or defending your property. In fact, most crimes against people’s property are committed when the occupants are away from home and light- and motion-detecting house lighting and burglar alarms offer better protection of property than guns do.

As far as being attacked by our own or a foreign government, a well trained army would sweep through our country once our fighting forces are disabled. Any attempt at retaliation would resemble the Keystone Kops as undisciplined, untrained and out-gunned civilians wander aimlessly with limited ammunition, food, shelter and protection.

I received an email recently that listed the number of deer licenses issued in all states. The total amounted to millions of licenses. The originator of this email was making the point of showing how many armed men we could muster from the civilian population to meet an insurgency or invasion. I’ll bet half of these licensees have never shot a deer, many would not want to be cannon fodder, and many would be old or out of shape and couldn’t get out of their own way. A battalion of tanks or nuclear weapons would raise havoc with this group.

Further, more stringent background checks and penalties for violations would appear to help sort out unsavory potential gun owners. There must be a system for gathering this information in a standard format and being able to centrally store the information and be able to quickly access it.

Also, making it easier to access mental health services would help to separate out and treat those who show a predisposition for committing gun violence. When strange behavior is initially detected, there is a need for prompt attention by a trained professional. Delays will cause more disasters.

We have to make schools safer for our children! Council Rock appears to be on the right track by holding public, district meetings. Some of the best suggestions come from those closest to the problem. This information should be compiled and some security standards for school construction made available to all school districts, nationally.

To conclude; The NRA (No Rational Answers) has been ridiculous in its response to the Sandy Hook massacre. In my opinion, it would be gross negligence for Congress not to approve any and all options that lessen the vulnerability of our children and all people to gun violence!

I’d keep the hunting rifles because I enjoyed hunting and some of my best friends are hunters!

David C. Tickel, Middletown, is a member of United Christian Church and affiliated with the Peace Center and Bucks County Committee for Interracial Harmony.

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